M.S.Ed. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

TESOL

The M.S.Ed. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) provides a foundation in the practical, theoretical, and professional aspects of the field of language education with a focus on English language teaching.

Overview

The M.S.Ed. in TESOL, housed within the Educational Linguistics Division of GSE, offers a broad range of course work connecting theory with practice, and stresses understanding the role and function of English language teaching as it relates to the political and social climate of today’s world.

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In keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of educational linguistics and the TESOL field, students take courses covering methods of teaching, evaluation, and curriculum and materials development. Additionally, they gain a thorough grounding in linguistics, which includes work in the structure and development of the English language, ﬁrst and second language acquisition, and sociolinguistics. Course content is based on research into the nature of language learning, the needs of speciﬁc populations of language learners, language and intercultural studies, and pedagogical approaches.

While there are two courses designed as practicum courses, students also engage in ﬁeldwork as tutors, interns, and teachers in a number of core and elective courses. Student-teaching is supported by individual mentorship and debriefs designed to stimulate discussion of current issues in teaching methods and language learning. Students are required to teach English as a second language for the culminating internship.

Suggested Plan of Study

Year 1

Fall 1

EDUC 527

EDUC 537

EDUC 679

Spring 1

EDUC 545

EDUC 546

EDUC 670

Summer

1-2 Elective Courses

EDUC 528

Year 2

Fall 2

EDUC 528 (if not taken in Summer)

Elective

Elective

Spring 2

EDUC 563

Distribution

* Students typically take 3-4 classes in their 1st spring semester and/or in their 2nd fall semester. In the Summer, 2nd Fall, and 2nd Spring semesters, the order in which electives and the distribution course are taken is flexible.

Fieldwork in the TESOL M.S.Ed.

Fieldwork is an integral component of the TESOL M.S.Ed specialization at Penn GSE. Fieldwork allows students to bridge the theoretical concepts they are learning in their coursework with practical skills and experiences gained by teaching actual language classes. Learning to teach, therefore, happens not only in the classrooms at Penn GSE, but also in the experience of teaching and working with diverse learners in community and institutional classrooms. To learn more about where students have completed their fieldwork, check out our interactive heat map.

PEDAL@GSE: Practical English for Daily Living

A Free ESL Program Taught by TESOL Students

In PEDAL, TESOL students create and instruct communicative English lessons. As part of the TESOL program's dedication to experiential learning, all 1st year TESOL students work as PEDAL assistant teachers during the course EDUC 545: TESOL Classroom Fundamentals. 2nd year TESOL students can apply to be lead teachers in the PEDAL classrooms to gain further experience and fulfill their EDUC 528 and EDUC 563 practicum requirements.

PEDAL@GSE offers English as a Second Language classes to adult family members affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.

Community PEDAL@GSE reaches beyond the campus as classes are open to all members of the West Philadelphia community.

Alumni Spotlight

WHERE ARE OUR STUDENTS NOW?

Penn GSE TESOL alumni are leaders in English language teaching throughout our country and the world. Their work impacts English language education in schools, universities, and community settings. Find out why our alumni chose Penn GSE and the different paths they have embarked on since graduation.